Air-Ships Based High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (AS-HAPS)

Air-Ships Based High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (AS-HAPS) Latest News

The Defence Acquisition Council recently granted Acceptance of Necessity to the procurement of Air-Ships Based High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (AS-HAPS) for the Indian Air Force.

About Air-Ships Based High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (AS-HAPS)

• HAPS are solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicles designed to operate in the stratosphere at altitudes of approximately 18-20 kilometres, nearly double the cruising altitude of commercial aircraft.
• Unlike conventional satellites that orbit at least 200 km above Earth and require expensive rocket launches, HAPS platforms can remain airborne for months or even years using solar power during the day and high-density batteries at night.
• This gives them satellite-like capabilities at a fraction of the cost, hence the term “pseudo satellite.”
• HAPS hovers persistently over specific locations, providing real-time monitoring of border areas to detect changes or movements.
• Equipped with high-definition optical and infrared cameras, state-of-the-art sensors, these aerial platforms are suitable for round-the-clock missions, border patrolling, target tracking, maritime surveillance and navigation, and even missile detection.
• India and HAPS:
• India has been developing indigenous HAPS capability through the National Aerospace Laboratories in Bengaluru. 
• In February 2024, NAL successfully tested a scaled-down prototype at the Challakere Aeronautical Test Range in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district.
• The 23-kg prototype, with a wingspan of 12 metres, flew for about eight and a half hours at an altitude of 3 km, meeting or exceeding all performance metrics.

Source: SM

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